Bon Voyage
by Flick1138
Summary: My response to a challenge themed 'Goodbye'.
1. Chapter 1

Matron tweaked her cap. The morning sun was streaming through the windows of her office. A neat and tidy uniform was a belief she drummed into each and every one of her nurses. Mostly they followed suit. She sipped a little water. The power of the sun was aggravating her headache, so she drew the blinds. A morning person, she felt immediately guilty for shutting out the first one to greet her of a morning. But there was no time to ponder her decision. She had precisely three minutes until her shift started and lateness was one of her pet hates.

Leaving her office, she was met with the night shift nurses leaving to get some rest. "Nurse Stevens, you may have finished you shift, but it is not acceptable to galavant about the hospital with BOTH of your top buttons undone. If you wish to dress that way, you may do so, but outside of this hospital!"

"Yes, Matron. Sorry, Matron."

Entering Milner Ward, she spotted Sister Brigid hard at work immediately in front of her. "Morning Sister."

"Oh good morning, Matron. How are you today?"

"I'm not so bad thank you, Sister. How's Mr Hopper's leg coming along?"

"He's doing very well, Matron. He's eaten all his breakfast and regaining some movement in his leg."

"Very good." Matron put her hand to her head. This headache of hers was worse than Mr Rose's singing.

"Good morning! How's my handiwork today? Or should I say legwork?" He grinned at his own joke.

Matron inwardly groaned.

Sister Brigid didn't. "You're very early today Mr Rose? Up with the larks, I see."

"I have a very important golf tournament this afternoon and I wish to get through my list as quickly as possible so I have time to prepare. If we have any emergencies, tell them to wait."

"I wouldn't like to guess what they might say if I told them that." Sister Brigid blushed, a few words coming to mind.

Matron, who secretly couldn't stand Mr Rose at the best of times, chose to move onto the other patients on her ward. Patients attended to, escaping Mr Rose was now her ambition and Fawcett Ward was her finishing line. Unfortunately, between her and it was a guilty looking Ken and Alun. "And what have you two been up to now?" she sighed.

"Well, you see, Matron..."

"On second thoughts, Ken, I'd rather not know."

"Oh, very well Matron." He nodded and moved aside for her. "Alun!" He indicated Alun should move out of Matron's way.

"Sorry, Matron."

"Go and do what you're paid to do, please."

"Yes, sorry Matron."


	2. Chapter 2

"Dr Weatherill? Why aren't you at morning surgery?"

"Long story, Matron. But the long and short of it is that Mrs Lyons had palpitations and insisted she be seen by a doctor immediately. Actually there seemed to be a bit of a raucous in reception. I left Lizzie to it. Ralph's covering my patients."

"I see. Is this raucous still going on?"

"Oh Matron, please come quickly there's a chaos in reception. I don't know why they're fighting. I don't even know what started it." Lizzie appeared harrassed and tousled, as though she'd been fighting herself.

"Ohhhhh," Matron groaned, leaning her forehead in her palm.

"Are you all right, Matron?" Dr Weatherill looked concerned.

"Yes, I'm fine thank you. Just a little headache, that's all."

"I'll fetch you a glass of water."

"No thank you, Lizzie, we have a riot in reception remember?"

"A riot? I don't remember using the word riot?" Lizzie scrunched her face up in puzzlement.

As the two women hurried down the corridor to reception, Lizzie pulled gradually odder expressions of puzzlement.

"What on earth is going on here!" Matron was not impressed. A hospital should be a calm and orderly place where people felt comfortable coming, not an amateur boxing ring.

"She's been sleeping with my brother!" a young man in biker boots cried.

"I'm sorry, Danny!" she begged. The young woman was weeping, her young man distraught. Another young man, much like biker-booted Danny, held a swollen face in his hand. This was obviously the brother and it was clear who had been fighting.

"Sorry, you're sorry! Try telling my dad you're sorry!"

"Danny, please," the other young man spoke up. "You know what dad's like. He'll flip."

"I hope he does." The tears were flowing now.

"That's quite enough! Lizzie, take this young man through to casualty please," she indicated the receiver of the punch, "and you two either wait quietly out here or please leave my hospital!"

"Has there been a fight, Matron?" Dr Ellis appeared beside her.

"Yes there has."

"Well, you seem to have sorted it. Wish I could sort things like you." He smiled at her. "Cheryl Bolton?" The weeping girl got up.


	3. Chapter 3

The phone shrilled. "Lizzie!"

"Behind you, Matron."

"Get the phone!"

Lizzie pulled a sarcastic expression before picking up the receiver. "Good morning, The Royal! Oh hello there...an ambulance, got that...the Whitby Road. I'll sort it straight away." Placing the receiver back in its cradle, she addressed Matron, "Matron, there's been a pile up on the Whitby Road. They've requested a doctor and an ambulance attend immediately."

"Fetch Dr Ormerod, I'll send Carol with the ambulance."

"Yes, Matron."

After sending Carol off in the ambulance, Matron, yet again ignoring her pestering headache, went to find Dr Weatherill on Fawcett Ward and Mr Rose on Milner. If it was a serious collision then they would both be needed. No one knew what to expect.

Ten minutes after they had all assembled, the first casualties began to arrive. Billy and Mary Sharp, both in their thirties, had a fractured leg and cuts and bruises between them. Mr Rose offered to take the fractured leg, as it seemed to be his speciality of the week. Dr Weatherill examined Mrs Sharp. Next came a flood of walking wounded.

"How many were involved in this accident?" Mr Rose questioned Matron.

"I don't know. Lizzie didn't say."

"We're going to need some more beds." Dr Weatherill was surprised by the sheer number of walking wounded.

"I'll sort them." And with that, Matron hurried off.


	4. Chapter 4

As she swished past no less than eight injured people, one caught her eye. But with no time to spare, Matron couldn't stop to ponder. Spotting Sister Brigid leaving Milner Ward, she called her over. "Sister, we've had an energency."

"I heard."

"Can you try and find some more beds on Milner and Fawcett please?"

"We have two free on Fawcett already and Mr George is due to be discharged this afternoon."

"Is there any way he can be discharged early?"

"I'll speak to Dr Ellis, Matron."

"Good. We're still going to need more beds though." She paused, a dizzy spell momentarily stunning her.

"Are you alright, Matron?" Sister Brigid looked concerned.

Disappearing as quickly as it had started, Matron informed Sister Brigid that she was perfectly well and told her to get on with finding the beds. Though her dizzy spell might have vanished, the headache hadn't. If anything it was worsening. But, Matron was hardy. A tiny setback like a headache was not going to stop her doing her job.

Heading back to casualty, she found all but two of the patients had been examined. Amazingly, the only serious injury was Mr Sharp's fractured leg, which Mr Rose had already set.

"Coming through!" Dr Ormerod's call could be heard in casualty.

Dr Weatherill looked up, worried.

Dr Ormerod and Carol rushed through to casualty with a young man on a trolley. Jack Thompson, they were told, had been pinned between a car and a wall. Serious crush injuries were sustained and he was the last to be freed from the wreckage. Mr Rose deducted he would need immediate reconstructive surgery to his legs if he were to save them. "It still might not be enough. Prep him for theatre if you would be so kind. Dr Ormerod, I will need you're assistance with the anaesthetic."

"Have his family been informed?" Matron asked of Dr Ormerod.

"I've asked Lizzie to give them a call. I'll talk to them when they arrive."

"Good." Matron winced.

"Matron? Are you feeling okay?" Dr Weatherill looked straight into her eyes.

"Oh I'm fine. You should check on your patients, Doctor."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, go on."


	5. Chapter 5

Really hoping Mr Rose and Dr Weatherill would save the young man's legs, Matron decided to check on the progress of the other patients injured in the accident. Realising the Police would be arriving anytime to speak to them, she didn't have long. Arriving at Milner Ward first, she checked on Mr Sharp and his leg and the five other male patients involved. As she reached the fifth gentleman, she noted the name, Harry Moore. She was at school with a Harry Moore. "Mr Moore?"

"Rose Ackroyd? It's been a very long time."

"Oh my! I haven't seen you in nearly forty years. What have you been doing with yourself?"

"I married your best friend, Kit Roth. We have two sons together."

"Kit. How is she? I haven't seen her in just as long."

"Oh she's very well. Or she was until the accident earlier."

"She was involved? I should go and see her."

"Will you let me know how she is please?"

"Of course, Harry."

Matron rushed to Fawcett Ward to find her childhood best friend. They fitted nearly forty years into fifteen minutes. In that fifteen minutes, Matron forgot feeling unwell and returned to being sixteen years old again. She hadn't realised until now how much she'd missed Kit. Matron told her as much.

"We're up here for a fortnight. When we get out of here, we must meet up for a drink." Kit told her.

"Yes, we must. You don't live locally anymore?"

"No. Harry was drafted to Brighton in the war and when it ended, we stayed down there. We had a family and friends by then, see. There didn't seem much point moving back up here."

"It must be nice."

"We're happy. I couldn't imagine being anywhere else."

"I saw Harry on Milner Ward. He was asking after you. When did you get together? I thought you hated him?"

"Oh he grew up. We both did. Realised there was a spark."

After another fifteen minutes, it occured to Matron that she was now guilty of what she was constantly telling her nurses off for doing. She hoped they understood.


	6. Chapter 6

With a smile on her face for the very first time that day, Matron left Fawcett Ward with a new lease of life.

"Ahh Matron. I've been looking for you all over. There's a phone call for you." Lizzie's smile never wavered. "Matron? Do you want to sit down, Matron?" Now it wavered.

Lizzie's voice faded gradually and all Matron could hear was the thud, thud, thud of blood pounding through her brain. The distance between them spread like a mist until finally she escaped into the pitch black sky beyond.

"Sister Brigid!" Lizzie ran down the corridor. "Help! She need a doctor. Matron's collapsed outside Fawcett Ward!"

Suddenly Lizzie was trampled by a stampede of feet. Two doctors, a nun, a porter and Jean McAteer ran past her. She threw her arms around her head to protect herself. Rushing after the unusual assortment of rescuers, she could only look on helplessly as a motionless Matron was examined by Drs Weatherill and Ellis.

"Alun fetch a trolley!" Dr Weatherill urged.

"I'll help you." Jean dashed after Alun.

A few moments later, a trolley appeared with Alun and Jean attached at either end.

"Alright, let's lift her on. Alun can you give us a hand, please? After three. One, two three."

Gently Matron was lowered onto the trolley and wheeled to casualty. Sister Brigid set up a saline drip. Dr Ellis checked her blood pressure and her pulse. Dr Weatherill examined her pupils. They took the best care of her they possibly could.

Lizzie stood looking in with Jean McAteer. The two were united in their concern. Both hoping for the best. Neither finding words to express themselves.


	7. Chapter 7

After what seemed to be forever, Matron was gently moved to a private room. Sister Brigid went with her to attend to her every need.

Dr Weatherill approached Lizzie and Jean, unable to look them in the eyes. As she reached them, she looked up. "Matron's had a stroke. We don't think it's a serious one, but we won't know the extent of the damage, if there is any, until she wakes up. In the meantime, we'll need to find a temporary Matron. She won't be back at work for weeks, if not months. We need to be strong for her." She grasped Lizzie's shoulder as tears washed their faces.

Trying to hold herself together, Jean spoke, "I'll arrange for a temporary Matron to start as soon as possible."

Dr Weatherill smiled at her.


End file.
